Aurora Alert - for 13/14 to 14/15 dec '06

[dcnicholls]

The shockwave hit at about 10am this morning. I find the IPS magnetometer plots a very good guide to whether an aurora is worth looking for (in Canberra, at least) http://www.ips.gov.au/Geophysical/1/1

Another very useful indicator used to be high frequency flutter on the audio for the BBC's shortwave transmissions (from London) on 15.070 mHz. The short path takes it to high southern latitudes on its way to Oz, and auroral activity modulates the signal in an easily identifieable way. Not sure if the BBC still uses that frequency, but any 19 metre band transmission from London should work.

DN

[fringe_dweller]

yep LOTS of ways to skin this particular cat eh DN - thanks! they are both great ways of detecting activity the ham radio guys are always onto it pretty quick to -

personally the advance early warning service from our friends across the tasman, (and around the world) being first to go unto the night darkly, and when they feel like it, can be pretty darn helpful to the Kiwi early warning detection network system, if working, is the best possible I reckon

http://www.spacew.com/www/auroras.php

I find, ultimately, there's no substitute for getting outside to a dark sky site and using the good old eyeballs

[fringe_dweller]

on this subject DN, not sure if your aware, but there's going to be even more amazingly handy and useful data coming from some recent developments in spaceweather monitoring - like STEREO for instance, which
I notice both have seen first light just recently

http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/new.shtml

'December 14, 2006: All the subsystems on both spacecraft continue to perform very well. On Monday, Dec. 11, the Ops team performed a peak power test on the A-spacecraft. The arrays are producing slightly more power than expected (720W vs 690W). The G&C team has started to tweak the control algorithms with the result that mechanical oscillation of the SWAVES antennae has completely disappeared on both spacecraft. They will continue to fine tune the system and are planning a test which would run all the wheels through all speeds to investigate the effect of wheel speed on jitter.

The SECCHI SCIP-B telescope doors (EUVI, COR1 and COR2) were successfully opened Dec. 13 at 6:30am. First light images were taken and reviewed by a bunch of very happy scientists on the east and west coasts. Performance was as expected and comparable to the SCIP-A telescope images taken last week. In addition, there was a successful opening of the first HI telescope door on S/C-A. The HI images appear to be exceptional. This means that of the 10 SECCHI telescopes, 8 have successfully opened their doors and taken good images. The HI-B door, which covers the last 2 telescopes, will open at the end of December or early January, depending on when we verify that there will be no more B Observatory maneuvers.

The IMPACT SEPT-NS, SEPT-E and SIT doors were deployed Dec. 14 on Ahead. In anticipation of this exciting event, the Sun decided to become active making it easy to confirm the door openings in the science telemetry. There were 5 door actuations - one for SIT and two for each set of doors on SEPT-E and SEPT-NS. The door deployments for SIT, SEPT-NS and SEPT-E on Spacecraft B will be in mid January.'

man I wish they release some of THOSE images/data, they got the flare by the sounds of it getting very exciting now

wonder what it will do for sun grazing comets move over soho?

[fringe_dweller]

cool vid on the STEREO twins mission

http://learners.gsfc.nasa.gov/mediaviewer/stereo2/

as if that isnt enough!! and on top of that there is this one online 2008?

http://www.universetoday.com/2006/07...the-beginning/

this from article

'To improve the predictions and provide reliable advance warning of adverse space weather, scientists must measure the magnetic field that permeates the material. Until now, there has been no way to make that measurement until the material is near Earth.
The LFD promises to change that. The telescope will see thousands of bright radio sources. The plasma ejected from the sun changes those sources’ radio waves as they pass through, but in a way that depends on the magnetic field strength and direction. By analyzing those changes, scientists will at last be able to deduce the all-important magnetic field properties of coronal mass ejections.
“This is the most crucial measurement to be made in support of our National Space Weather Program, since it would provide advance notice about the space weather effects on Earth well ahead of the time of impact of the plasma burst,” said Joseph Salah, director of the Haystack Observatory.'

which even has an Australian connection

http://www.haystack.mit.edu/ast/arrays/mwa/

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

Some very good solar links there, I will keep them handy for when I am next in the "Deep South" ! Who Knows I may even see my first Aurora